(From company literature) The K100D features a Pentax-developed Shake Reduction (SR) system, which effectively reduces camera shake for sharp, blur-free images even under difficult shooting conditions, such as using a telephoto lens, shooting in low light conditions without a supplementary flash illumination. The K100D SR mechanism is designed to minimize camera shake by oscillating the CCD image sensor vertically and horizontally at high speed using magnetic force, while adjusting the speed of oscillation in proportion to the amount of camera shake detected by a built-in sensor. This system does not require special anti-shake lenses and may be used with almost all existing Pentax interchangeable lenses.*

The sophisticated K100D SAFOX VIII autofocus system features 11 sensor points (with nine cross-type sensors) to automatically focus on the subject with utmost precision, even when it is positioned off center. The in-focus sensor point is automatically superimposed in red in the viewfinder for at-a-glance confirmation. This high-precision AF system offers a choice of two AF modes: the conventional single AF, and the continuous AF,** which maintains focus on the moving subject as long as the shutter release button is pressed halfway down.

The K100D features an auto sensitivity control function, which automatically sets the optimum standard output sensitivity — up to equivalent ISO of 3200, which is the highest automatic setting in its class — based on such data as the subject's brightness level and the lens focal length. Since this function allows the use of higher shutter speeds in poor lighting situations (such as indoor sports events and night scenes), it helps photographers reduce camera shake and prevent blurred images.

The K100D offers the exclusive Pentax Auto Picture Mode, which automatically and instantly selects one of the four Picture modes — including Portrait, Landscape and Macro — by calculating various photographic factors to assure optimum results. Since this advanced shooting mode takes away all the concerns about aperture, shutter-speed, white-balance, saturation, contrast and sharpness settings, the photographer can concentrate on image composition and shutter opportunity.

The K100D incorporates a large 2.5 inch color LCD monitor on its back panel that offers a wide-view design that allows views from over 140 degrees vertically and horizontally, ensuring effortless image viewing even from a diagonal position. With a total of approximately 210,000 pixels, the monitor offers digital zooming of playback images up to 12 times for easy confirmation of the image's focusing status and details. The large monitor size allows for large letters, digits and icons on the menu screens to facilitate menu confirmation and camera operations. In addition, the color scheme between the menu listings and the background is optimized for each menu screen to assure at-a-glance confirmation, even under varying shooting conditions.

The K100D features a large, high-performance 23.5mm x 15.7mm CCD as its image sensor, assuring the faithful reproduction of the desired photographic intention in the resulting images — from images with beautiful out-of-focus backgrounds to those with edge-to-edge sharpness. Combining 6.1 effective megapixels with a high-performance imaging engine and advanced image-processing technologies, the K100D is designed to produce beautiful, true-to-life images that are rich in gradation. What's more, it offers a choice of two finishing touches of “Natural” or “Bright” to create a distinctive atmosphere.

While the K100D is designed to be compact and lightweight to enhance operability and portability, it also incorporates a newly developed stainless-steel chassis and a fiber-reinforced engineering plastic housing to reinforce its overall rigidity and durability.

The K100D features a lightweight penta-mirror viewfinder, which combines Pentax finder optics and a Natural-Bright-Matte II focusing screen to deliver bright, clear subject image with a 0.85X magnification and a 96 percent field of view.

The K100D offers a top shutter speed of 1/4000 second to freeze fast-moving subjects and capture decisive moments and features a flash synchronization speed of 1/180 second and a bulb setting (B) for extended exposures.

To trace the movement of an active subject or capture a sequence of the subject's expressions, the K100D offers a continuous shooting mode that allows the photographer to capture multiple images (up to five images at “Best” image quality in JPEG format) at a maximum speed of approximately 2.8 images per second.

The K100D's standard software package consists of the Pentax PHOTO Laboratory 3 that features the reliable SILKYPIX image-processing engine (developed by ICHIKAWA SOFT LABORATORY) for RAW data processing, and the Pentax PHOTO Browser 3 that offers faster data processing speed and better operability than the previous version, and can convert RAW images to the DNG format. DNG is a public, archival format for digital camera raw data.

Images may be stored in a standard format where all files are located in one folder, or the images can be stored in folders for each day of shooting automatically on an SD memory card.

** The continuous AF mode is selectable by the user only when P, Tv, Av, M or B is selected as a shooting mode on the mode dial. This mode is automatically activated by the camera when the Auto Picture Program, or one of the Picture or Scene modes, is selected.

Anticipated availability is July 2006 with a suggested retail price of US$699.95 including 18-55mm kit lens.

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $550.00| Rating: 9

Pros:

Affordable, SR system is amazing. Virtually work with most pentax lens ever made.

Cons:

Auto White Balance Sucks.

The most attractive thing about this camera is the BANG for your Bucks factor. For about 600 buck you can get this camera with some kind of lens kit. The standard is the 18-50mm kit but I opt for the Tamron 28-200mm.
The second biggest about the K100D or K110D or K10D in general is the lens compatiblity. This camera will work with lens make since the 70s. Couple this camera with a Pentax-A 50mm 1.7 and you have an amazing portrait setup.
The third thing that i found out about this is that there's a very nice large community of Pentaxian =). They're very friendly when it come to helping someone started with DSLR.
The Shake Reduction System work very well and ISO range from 200-3200. Even at 1600, noise level is barely noticable.
The one bad thing i found about this camera is that the Auto White Balance simple is horrible. It's not a problem if you shoot RAW but once you use it for a while, i'll know what to set the WB in different situation.

Hope this help =)

rogue

Registered: January 2007Posts: 1

Pentax K100D review by rogue

Review Date: 1/9/2007

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: None indicated| Rating: 8

Pros:

Image stabilization, solid design, and overall good value.

Cons:

Noise levels can be a problem.

The Pentax K100D is a good entry-level (read affordable) dSLR that comes with all of the features one would expect. It also has some of the perks novice users enjoy such as the ability to use AA-batteries and popup flash.

ivegotacamera

Registered: January 2007Posts: 4

Pentax K100D review by ivegotacamera

Review Date: 1/8/2007

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: $520.00| Rating: 8

Pros:

Great Value, anti-shake, low noise files

Cons:

noisy sometimes hunting focus

My first DLSR, but I really do like it. It feels great in hand, not too big or small. Gives great 6mp picture quality. I'd like quicker access to a few functions, but the price is hard to beat. I'm not sure how effective the anti-shake is though.

alegria

Registered: January 2007Posts: 1

Pentax K100D review by alegria

Review Date: 1/5/2007

Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Total Spent: None indicated| Rating: 0

Pros:

Very good value for money

Cons:

Autofocus is slow

I've had this camera for 2 months now, and I love using it. It's my first dslr and it has everything I need except for the fact that the autofocus is a little slow and hunts in low light.